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Vigil Infantry
It is the great pleasure of the High King of Vigil to raise the finest regiments of Gregora sector. Clad in nigh-black dress uniform, Vigil Infantry regiments have marched on countless worlds across the Galaxy and are highly valued by Imperial Guard generals who have had the honor to command them. In Vigil Infantry regiments the basic principles of any military unit - drill, discipline, stamina and moral - are fulfilled into exemplary levels. History The world now known as Vigil was colonized as early as 22nd Millennium by the very first space-faring men. Many signs point towards the facts that the earliest settlers were indeed led by a cadre of Knights but due unknown reasons the people divided into multiple culturally distinct factions all of them possibly ruled by one to handful of Knights. What was the weaponry of the first settlers is left unanswered, but the society quickly degenerated into gunpowder era, never recovering from their technological downgrade. Cultural differences forced the nations to train their troops to defend themselves against each others, and later against the emerging threat from within. Long military traditions were born and continued for millennia until the world was discovered by the Imperium of Man during the Great Crusade. At first, the world was left under the jurisdiction of Adeptus Mechanicus because of the possible Knight discoveries but when nothing turned out, the future of Vigil fell into the hands of Adeptus Administratum and commanders of Elegios Prime. Governors of Elegios Prime judged what was best for Vigil and they began to systematically imperialize it. Amongst the many tools used was the raising of an Imperial Guard regiment. First regiments, Vigil I-IV Infantry, were armed and sent off-world just before the 3rd Black Crusade and they served in a number of campaigns until the last remnants were attached to other regiments around the year 920 of the 32nd millennium. Since then the Vigil Infantry regiments have marched on countless worlds and fought in innumerable battles. Not even the small recruitment base or poor logistics have denied the proud people of Vigil from offering their blood for the defense and glory of the Imperium. Recruitment & Training Training soldiers on Vigil is a great pride for the people of Vigil but also a long tradition which encompasses most of their society. Almost all men, on the planet, join the military organizations formed under local landlords. Those landlords are obliged to provide the High King a levy, which is only a bit more properly formed into a composition what extra-stellar Imperials call planetary defense forces. From this levy the High King forms the Vigil Infantry regiments, when the Emperor calls. Training regimes also heavily emphasize the signal companies which are equipped with powerful vox-casters, far beyond the actual need of any Vigil Infantry regiment yet so far. Medical personnel is trained by the Adepta Sororitas Hospitallers of the Order of the Mother Brilliant on Vigil, but the Hospitallers themselves are never attached to all-male regiments. Battle Doctrine Regiments of Vigil strictly follow the ancient military doctrine of fire-and-move. They are widely known for it and utilize it whenever advancing is necessary. Vigil regiments do however excel in defense formations due their discipline, iron guts and heavy, deep-penetrating weapons. Therefore they are usually assigned to defensive positions and when the 41st millennium draws close, even more so, as the Mankind is besieged from all fronts. Vigil regiments utilize fire and move tactics on company level, and full regiment simultaneously. The somewhat ill-famed pathfinder companies are usually able to provide extremely devastating suppressing fire with their snipers and anti-material rifles and beforehand placed explosives and traps. All infantry regiments are trained to act without the support of the pathfinder companies, relying solely on each other. When possible, Vigil commanders try to get themselves situated with artillery units or with direct Navy Wing support to enable wide smokescreens and extreme suppressing fire. Organisation Every regiment from Vigil is 1189 man strong when found. It includes not only the fighting element but also the supporting element of the regiment. As depicted in the document by Commissar Claude Grigoi Bobrikov (left), all regiments have regimental command at the top of their hierarchy. Under their jurisdiction are medical and signal companies, attached Adeptus Ministorum and Officio Prefectus units, four battle companies and a recon company. Adeptus Ministorum detachment consists of a preacher, who ranks as a senior officer, and four chaplains, who all rank as junior officers. Officio Prefectus detachment is usually three men strong, two Commissars and one Junior Commissar, or Commissar-Cadet. It is however not unheard of that a whole training squad is attached to the Vigil regiments. Regimental command, and respectively the whole regiment, is led by a senior officer usually a Colonel and seconded by another senior, but not as high ranking, the officer is usually Colonel-Lieutenant. They have an attached Imperial Tactician as the third-in-command who holds a rank of Adjutant-Cadet. Adjutant-Cadet is usually more talented but sometimes also a more experienced officer or tactician who may be assigned to a leadership position in an ad hoc battlegroup or even a small army, gaining a general-level rank instead. Within the regimental staff are also three sub-units. They are scribes, provisioners, and munitions. Scribes consist of a Major, one First Scribe who equals as a lieutenant, and six Scribes. Provisioners consist of one Major, four Sergeants, and 16 Cooks. Munitions consists of a Gunnery-Major, a Master Gunsmith, and ten Gunsmiths. As the commander's right hand serves the Signal Company which is made of a Captain-Radist, a Color Sergeant, four Sergeants, and 16 Radists. Medical Company is the only unit which hosts non-combatant members, it is made of a Captain-Barber, three Barbers, an Apothecary, five Paramedics and 20 Medics. Each battle company is similar in structure, even if the relative ranks may differ from one company to another. Each company is led by a company commander, ranking either a Captain or a Lieutenant. Each company commander has their own command squad of four Lance Corporals. Companies are made of four platoons, of which the foremost is commanded by a Sergeant Major and the rest by a Sergeant. They too have command squads made of four Lance Corporals. Each platoon is made of two infantry squads of 26 men and two special weapon squad or heavy weapon squad of 6 men. Each infantry squad is led by a Lance Sergeant and each special or heavy weapon squad by a Corporal. Recon company is led by a Lieutenant, seconded by two Sergeants and carried on by six Corporals. It contains 80 troopers, usually forming unorthodox bands of varying sizes and equipment as per dictated their commanders. Equipment Uniform & Personal Gear The uniform of Vigil infantrymen is dark blue, almost black, in color. It comprises of a stiff, double-breasted frock jacket with stand-up collar and cuffs of black, yellow, orange or red, according to your rank. These high-quality jackets have inlaid straps of composite armour, capable of deflecting laser weaponry and stopping medium caliber firearms. Infantrymen make use of shako-shaped helmets, but officers make use of peaked caps or fur hats in cold environments. All men wear tall leather boots and nigh-black jodhpurs. As these regiments do not have designated transports, all men are also equipped with a small backpack which includes their personal gear; change clothes, rations, water and extra munitions and extra boots. Personal & Support Weapons Vigil infantrymen are armed with a relatively powerful Mogan pattern lasguns, which are manufactured on forge world Oscillax. Mogan pattern lasguns are of an ancient design, originating from forge world Mogan respectively, and incorporate delicate power amplifiers at the beginning of the barrel. These amplifiers enable much higher penetrating capabilities with the universal standard 19 megathule power pack. Mogan pattern lasguns are not, however, fully automatic and require extra care and attention by their handlers. Relying heavily on wide, solid line of infantry, Vigil regiments gladly change maneuverability to powerful stationary weapons. Many commanders favor autocannons because of their high rate of fire and devastating power against almost any target but some regiments have also used even more powerful lascannons, being able to take down anything the galaxy has to throw against them. Regiments assigned to defensive positions, supporting attackers or to sieges, are also known to have mortar teams amongst their companies. Standard heavy weapon of Vigil Infantry regiments is autocannon. Auxiliary units of Honor are mainly equipped with light gear, camouflage and sabotage equipment such as sachel charges, EMP grenades or anti-personnel mines. Acting as designated scouts, the pathfinder companies are known to utilize a wide variety of snipers and scopes to augment their standard Mogan pattern lasguns. Pathfinders are often granted laser markers to point out effective artillery or bombing run spots on the battlefield. Notable Regiments :(Feel free to add your own) Notable Engagements :(Feel free to add your own) *419.M34-422.M34 - First Gregoran Reformation *526.M34-587.M34 - Betrayal of Dimlight Stars *595.M34-599.M34 - Subjugation of Karenia Io *005.M35-022.M35 - Second Gregoran Reformation Category:Imperial Guard Category:Imperial Guard Regiments Category:Infantry Regiments Category:Imperium Category:Gregora sector